


Two Heartbeats

by Chiyouki



Category: Hunter X Hunter
Genre: Drama, F/M, Friendship, Post-Greed Island Arc, Romance, Tragedy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-22
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:21:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,403
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26043394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chiyouki/pseuds/Chiyouki
Summary: A girl's fate changed. A lot of twists and turns while drifting between the past and the present.
Relationships: Kurapika/OC
Kudos: 4





	1. Encoded Destiny

**Chapter One** : **Encoded Destiny**

BACK there, to the place I called home, everything seemed bright. Dazzling. Happy.

Everyone cared for me, loved me. It was a perfect life.

That was what I thought.

That night came. Darkness covered the sky. Fire was everywhere. Everyone was shouting and running—to escape from something that threatened their lives. At my young age, I knew something bad was happening. I stood there in the middle of the chaos, too scared to run away. I felt an overwhelming fear.

I called my mom.

"Mother…!" Warm tears flowed down my cheeks. _Where are they? Where is everybody?_ My breath caught the smoke. It ached my throat and lungs. I was coughing hard and when I finally managed to take a few steps, I staggered into something stiff lying on the ground. I fell face down on the wet soil.

"Ame-sama!"

Someone grabbed my arms. I looked up to see a lady, her long hair tousled and her skirt muddy.

"Come, quick! We must leave this place!" The lady half-dragged me away. It was then that I caught a glimpse of the thing lying on the ground. With its face visible to the light, I saw how horrible it was. It was a man, his face distorted, his head inclined on a rough angle. The eye sockets were hollow like something took the eyeballs out. The man was all sullied with blood.

Something on the man's chest caught my eyes. It shimmered against the flames around us. I recognized my father's topaz that hung on a silver chain.

Pain shot through me like a thunderbolt. It was my father, my ever gentle and loving father, lying on the ground. Cold and dead.

"Father….!" _No! No please no! Father! Not my father!_ "Let me go! Father! Nooo…!" I could not cry and scream hard enough for I knew my father could not hear me. I tried to reach for him but the lady caught my arm. Her grip was hard and she would not let me go.

"Ame-sama! I'm sorry but we should leave now! They are coming!" She tried to pull me away.

_Scream! Harder!_ But I could not hear my voice, my scream. It was like I lost my voice. What should I do? I was so scared that if I wouldn’t scream louder, my family would not know that I was there and I needed them.

The lady tugged me away. I was still trying to pull free from her grip all the way, screaming for my family. After a while, we reached a small river. The flames and smoke were still visible from a distance, and I could still hear the shouts of the people back there. Shouts and screams of agony and fear.

The lady pushed me gently unto a small raft on the riverbank. I slumped, weak, and exhausted. I was helpless; all I could do was cry.

"Ame-sama, listen very carefully." I did not look at her. My eyes were sore from crying too hard.

"I'm sorry I couldn't do anything to save them. But I would risk my life now, for you. You must go away here. Save yourself, Ame-sama. This is for our people. You must live!” The lady broke into a silent whimper.

I gazed at her. Our eyes met. Deep scarlet eyes reflected each other.

It was then that I sensed something different. My eyelids were drooping. From afar, I heard a lullaby, a gentle song, the kind that would put babies into sleep. My body felt weaker, lighter. I collapsed on the raft.

I felt the raft slowly shifted away from the riverbank. Away from the lady and the flames. Away from the shrieking people and the chaos. Before the shadows took my consciousness, I glimpsed at the moon above me. It looked like a single scarlet eye. _I wonder why…_ But I was too tired and sleepy to think about the red moon. I closed my eyes.

Sometime between my sleep, I was half-awakened by a movement on my side. With my eyes half-closed, I peeked and saw a woman. It was not the lady who helped me escaped that night. Something was different about her looks and most of her face was covered. Her _eye_ glinted, small and red.

"Indeed, I am lucky today, am I not?" Red-colored lips smiled gently at me. "Such a beautiful pair of eyes." I heard her giggle. "Oh well, fate must have brought you here. I only wished for someone ordinary, yet, I ended up with someone exceptional." Another giggle. "Now, now, let us get on with it, shall we, princess?"

I felt a piercing pain in my chest. It was like a sharp knife cut into my chest towards my heart. My eyes widened as the pain intensified. My mouth opened, but no scream came out. The pain was blocking my senses.

"Your destiny is mine to decide." The woman whispered close to my ear.

Darkness.


	2. Favors and Surprises

_KILLUA has not returned since then. I'm losing my patience._

The heavy metal door opened. Kikyo's steps echoed on the stone walls as she approached her husband who was sitting in an oversized round couch at the far end corner of the room. Standing beside him was their oldest son, Illumi.

"I can see that you are not doing anything about Killua," she said. "I want our son back!"

"Killua is fine with his friends," Silva answered, indifferent to his wife's annoyance.

_Friends? Such hideous word!_ Kikyo thought as she gripped her fan hard until it snapped. "Well then, Illumi, I need your help with something."

Black lifeless eyes stared back at Kikyo. "Killua has a mind of his own, mother. And besides," Illumi paused as if trying to think of the right words to say. "He knew too well that he belongs to this place."

Kikyo's electronic visor flickered.

"Tell him to come home now or else I will send Alluka out to get him."

* * *

"I HAVE this awful feeling. We are about to lose all of our money." Killua slumped on the bed face down.

Silence.

Killua straightened from the bed and turned an apprehensive stare towards Gon. He knew his friend has something going on in his mind when he seemed lost in thoughts.

"I'm going back to Greed Island, Killua," Gon said, resolve was in each word as he spoke.

"I know you will say something like that." Killua reached for a pillow and hurled it towards Gon. The feathers flew all over the place the instant it hit Gon's head.

"Aww! Hey!"

"What are you, an idiot?! Now tell me, how will we get there? We need a portal of entry. I don't think we will find a game console. And what will you do there? We already finished the game months ago."

"You are right," But Gon never wavered. His father was still out there, somewhere.

"Idiot."

Killua shifted his gaze to the glass window. The city lights danced against the darkness of the night.

"Gon, now that you mentioned it, I got the feeling that the game is not yet done."

"What do you mean?"

Their conversation was interrupted by the loud ringing of Killua's phone.

"Hello?"

It was an immediate reaction when the voice on the other line spoke. Killua stiffened, his expression became serious. "What's up?" The conversation continued and he was frowning when it ended.

Gon knew that something was wrong.

"Mom wants me to come home in fifteen days. If not, she is going to take us down."

"Your mom will come here?"

"No." Killua clenched his fist. "She's sending _her_ to hunt us down."

"Her...?"

"I should have known it will come this far…" his voice trailed off as his mind continued to search for possible solutions.

"What do you mean, Killua?" Gon took a step closer. He felt it, too. Danger was coming. "Who is she?"

Killua clenched his fists. He would never risk Gon's life. Now that it all depended on him, he had to think fast. It has already started. His mother was one step ahead. But Killua would do everything to protect Gon, even if it means death.

"Alluka is coming.”


	3. Free

MY consciousness came in a snap. All of a sudden, everything became clear. Sharp. Defined. My senses were coming to life. Ripples of energy ran through my body, sending waves of impulses from my head to the tips of my fingers and toes. My heart began its slow regular beat. I opened my eyes.

Darkness.

I could see nothing but darkness.

The intense feeling of self-preservation hit me. Without my sight, I feel vulnerable. Weak. And I hate it.

I redirected my focus on my surroundings. I inhaled slowly. The scent was familiar. I could taste the room around me — the mixture of dust, stagnant air, and the coldness of the stone walls. A sweet and pleasant scent was the strongest, coming from the closest thing to me.

But something was not right. I could sense a faint echo of someone's presence in the room.

Suddenly, I heard something shifted its weight closer to me. It was then that the presence became clearer. I was not alone in the room. I braced myself and anticipated an attack.

A quarter of a second passed. Nothing happened.

"You are getting better with this, Alluka."

I recognized the voice. "Mother?"

"Yes dear, it's just me." Kikyo took a step closer. "Loosen up. It is time to let you out again."

_So, she did it again,_ I thought. Placed me in a state of dreamless sleep, left alone in the darkness.

"What do you want me to do, Mother?"

Kikyo's smile was wicked.

"One of your brothers made a terrible mistake. I've had enough of it. He needs to be punished. He chose his friends over his family. Destroy what's important to him and bring him back."

_Killua._

I knew it. It has to be him. My mind spun out back to those days when I was still free and awake. But my memory was dim and everything from the past had become so blurred. I scanned, searching for Killua's face through the fuzzy images.

It must have been days. Perhaps months or years? My memory betrayed me.

"Prepare yourself. I will let you out in a few minutes." I heard the heavy door closed.

I knew, once again, I was left in the darkness alone.

* * *

**14 DAYS LEFT**

THAT morning, Gon and Killua decided to leave the hotel and wander through the busy York Shin streets.

"Is she stronger than your father? Or you brothers?" Gon asked.

"Not really." They turned towards a busy street lined with merchants.

"Then there's nothing to worry about, right? But still, I don't want to fight her Killua. She's your sister."

Killua fell silent for a moment.

"She is part of my family but we are not related by blood. My mother brought her in more than six years ago. Dad was furious at first but none of us can do anything about it so we let it slip. Eventually, my brother, Gramps, and even Dad trained her to become an assassin. She's quite good. Alluka became professional in less than a year."

Gon's eyes widened in amazement.

"Yeah so don't underestimate her. She's still a Zoldyck, you know. We have fifteen days to prepare."

"Let's discuss her skills then. Does she know how to use nen?"

"That's the problem, Gon. I have no idea what she can do."

"What? But why? You live in the same house, right?"

"Yes. But believe it or not, I've only seen her twice." Killua sighed in frustration. "That's why I'm taking this matter seriously. I barely know her."

"Why don't we ask your brothers?"

Killua considered the thought. Illumi was not an option. He could call Milluki but an exchange of information meant they needed to pay a lot of money. He sighed heavily before taking his phone out to make a call.

"Gotoh, it's me, Killua. I need to speak with the fat guy." After a few moments, the call was connected.

"What do you want?" Milluki asked, obviously annoyed. He was surrounded by a number of monitors showing various locations within their estate.

"Take it easy, brother. I'm calling because I missed you a lot."

"Go straight to the point, Killua. What do you want?"

"Well, it's been a while since I left the house. I was just wondering if there's anything new."

Milluki's eyes narrowed in suspicion. "There must be. Or you wouldn't have called."

"Come on. I'm sending the money after this."

A movement on one of the screens caught Milluki's attention. A girl was walking through the long stone corridor. She was wearing a long black cloak. He saw the girl opened the large metal doors of the main entrance of the house but she disappeared even before the doors closed.

"Alluka went out just now."

_Just as I thought._ "I need to know more about her." He knew Milluki kept records from the time Alluka was still training to become one of them. "Send me those videos."

"Mom will be furious but I guess it can't be helped." He started pressing some buttons on the keyboard. "Don't lower your guard, Killua. Mom locked her up for a reason."

"Thanks for the time, brother." The call ended. "She is on her way."

"What are we going to do now?"

_Two options left. We can fight or we can hide. Or…_ Killua froze. His mind reconsidered the third option, weighing the consequences. It was too risky but it might be the best option left. "I got a plan, but we should discuss this thoroughly. Be ready Gon. We might have to cut the chase."

* * *

OVERVIEW

**Chapter Four: Crossroads**

The plan was too risky. Hide and seek. The mystery about this girl seemed endless.


	4. Crossroads

THROUGH the glass window, I watched as thousands of tiny lights sparkled around the tall buildings and city streets below me. I always admired York Shin City for its luminosity as the glowing lights made it lively against the darkness of the night.

The airship landed fifteen minutes later.

I was eager to finish the hunt as soon as possible but I was told to wait fifteen days before taking action, and the least I could do as of the moment was to track my targets down. My tracking skills were not as good as my brother's, but fifteen days were more than enough. I could find them.

I thought about taking a stroll for a while. Not a bad idea.

I drifted through the shadows towards the dark alley. After making sure that no one was around, I broke into a run.

My legs moved with blinding speed. It was a peculiar sensation, the balance between clarity and speed. I hurdled over, under, and through the maze of pathways and rooftops. My leaping bounds stretched longer and after about ten minutes of running, I reached the place – an abandoned building located at the outer edge of the city.

Barely aware of my movement, I ghosted down the incline to the narrow entrance of the building.

As I stepped into the large room, I roamed my eyes, seeing the circular arrangement of ascending blocks of broken old stones. Streaks of moonlight coming from the small windows above emitted shadows all over the place.

No one would ever dare go to a place like this. But I liked it here because this place became my home for a short while. I closed my eyes and again scanned through the pages of my dimmed memory. Images began to form, faces—twelve faces I could never forget. I half expected those faces to appear in front of me as I opened my eyes, but the room remained quiet. Still. Empty.

" _You are expecting to find them here? Idiot! They already left_ _and you will never see them again!"_ A voice similar to mine spoke inside my head. I froze. I could hear my own voice clearly.

" _People like them will not bother to think about you. Besides, it was absolutely your fault. You left them without saying a word. Someone must have replaced your position in the group by now. If they see you, they will kill you. You are a threat to them. You should know better than that."_

I settled myself on one of the stone blocks. I could not argue because the voice was saying the absolute truth.

" _You don't have the right to see them now."_

"I know," I whispered to myself. Betrayal to the group was unforgivable. But I never wanted to leave them. I didn't have a choice.

" _Your life is not yours to decide. You will never have the chance to choose between options. You are not free."_

I clenched my fist hard, my nails digging into my skin. Blood began to trickle between my fingers. The dull pain I felt in my hands could not compare to the pain I felt from deep within me. The truth hurts. I was no more than a mere killing machine. Made to take life. Forbidden to feel human emotions.

Better left alone.

* * *

**8 DAYS LEFT**

Gon was having his daily nen workout when Killua entered the room. They left the hotel and stayed in an abandoned apartment building where they hid just before they set off to enter the greed island months ago.

Killua leaned on the wall beside the door while tossing his blue cap on midair, his face impassive.

Gon looked at him questioningly.

"I'm going out." Killua placed the cap on his head. "I'll be back before sunset."

"Okay. Take care!"

He flashed a quick smile and turned away. It was going to be a long day.

* * *

HEAVY rain poured down.

Killua sat staring through the glass window, his chin propped up against his right hand, while his other hand played with the straw of his drink, now half empty. He seemed unaware of his surroundings like he was contemplating something deep in his thoughts.

It was a regular coffee and eggs joint, and the crowd was light at that time of the day. It was not really the best place to see his brother but it was very unlikely anybody would suspect that two deadly assassins agreed to meet there.

Three minutes passed. A pretty little _girl_ with short black hair wearing the traditional kimono took the seat in front of Killua.

Kalluto Zoldyck. The youngest in the family. His little brother.

A waitress with a rag of brown hair came to their table with a huge smile on her face.

"What would you like little miss?" she asked.

"Water," Kalluto answered in a flat voice.

"Oh. We got a nice blueberry pie."

"No, thanks."

The waitress turned towards Killua. "How about—"

Killua shook his head.

She looked at them like they were the scum of the earth for turning down the pie, then went to get the glass of water.

Silence.

The waitress placed the glass of water in front of Kalluto, gave Killua a quick glance, and turned away.

Killua broke the silence.

"I almost thought you'd turn me down," he said with eyes still on the window.

"I cannot turn down the money." Kalluto's face was unemotional.

"So? Any leads?"

"She knows you're here."

Killua flinched. Seven days. She was good. And she was not even a tracker.

"You want to see her now?"

Killua finished his drink and stood. His brother followed him.

Kalluto opened his paper-made umbrella he conjured from no one knew where. Killua held his hand out, a gesture saying he would hold the umbrella for them. Together they stepped into the heavy rain, walking close under Kalluto's pretty umbrella.

As for Killua, it felt odd. They were never this close before. He wondered how they appear from the eyes of others. Did they look like real brothers? He doubted it because none of their physical features were the same. Contrasting hair colors. That would be one.

To shrug off an awkward moment, he tried to start a conversation.

"Err… I was just wondering, why are you helping me?" he asked, making it sound as casual as possible.

"I am not doing you a favor. I'm doing this because you are paying me."

"Really? Mom will be angry if she finds out."

They reached the entrance of a narrow alley. The deserted path extended deep into the stretch of tall buildings.

"We are to position ourselves two hundred meters away from her. You should be careful. She's quite receptive. Hide yourself well."

"Okay."

Nobody on the street noticed as the two of them disappeared into thin air.

* * *

" _AME-CHAN!"_

My eyes snapped open. From afar, lightning flashed and thunder roared furiously. Water was dripping all over me, my clothes now drenched from heavy raindrops. I looked up. The dark gray sky appeared near like I could almost touch it.

In my mind, I replayed the voice I heard from that dream. The boy's voice, now distant, was strikingly familiar. Who could it be? And who was Ame-chan? The voice gave me the impression that he was calling me.

I closed my eyes once again as raindrops fell down on my face.

I want to stay trapped in this peaceful solitude forever.

I folded my knees close to my chest, hugging them tightly. They would be here soon. _Killua… What's taking you so long? I want to end this now as much as you do,_ I thought.

Seconds turned into minutes. It was not long before I noticed the feeling that someone was watching me, hovering somewhere around the tall buildings surrounding the tower where I sat. To my surprise, he did not bother to conceal his presence as if he was doing it on purpose. I deliberated for a moment.

I stood up and drifted towards the edge, gazing at the far-off ground below. With an unhurried movement, I took a casual step into the empty air and fell.

The ground seemed to move slowly towards me. Bending my knees, I absorbed the impact in the balls of my feet. I landed on the wet pavement just as quiet as a muted thud. It happened so fast that the people around me did not see anything. My movement was instantaneous.

I strode across the street, on my way to the man waiting for me.

* * *

KILLUA'S grip on the binocular tightened as he focused his watch on the girl. He and his brother situated themselves at the top of one of the buildings surrounding the tower from which they had a clear view.

"She never left that spot for three days," Kalluto said from behind him.

_Damn! That means she's waiting for us. She knew we would come looking for her_.

Kalluto turned to leave.

"Hey."

Kalluto raised one questioning brow, seeing the grin on Killua's face.

"Thanks for the help."

Kalluto gave his brother one long stare and said, "Nobody can replace _Alluka_ in our family." And then, he was gone.

Killua sighed. What an odd way to mention Alluka's name.

He took his phone out from his pocket and dialed Gon's number without taking his eyes off the tower.

Gon answered in the second ring.

"Gon, I found her. She's at the York Shin Tower."

"Alright. I'm on my way." Killua heard a swish as Gon started to move fast.

"We've got a problem, Gon. She knew we would come looking for her. Now the plan won't work."

Gon was quiet for a moment. "We still got plan B."

Killua cursed under his breath. They need luck more than anything. "Right. Start using your _zetsu_ when you are at least three hundred meters away from the tower. I'll meet you below."

"Okay. I got it."

But before Killua managed to end the call, he noticed a movement on the tower and saw the girl jumped. His mouth fell open. Everything happened so fast, it took him a moment to realize what to do. _She found out I'm here? That's impossible! I made sure my zetsu was perfect. It can't be!_ Horror struck him motionless.

"Killua? What happened?" Gon asked anxiously from the other line.

"She's on the move. Stop right there! I'll call you back." Killua sprinted away. She did not have to find Gon, too. Now, he had to face Alluka all by himself. But he stopped right on his tracks as he contemplated the situation. _No, she wasn't after me. Something must have caught her attention._ Killua made his way back to the tower as he concentrated working on his zetsu more deliberately this time. Seconds later, he saw the girl walked across the street. He felt his pulse throbbed as the tension increased. He was much nearer now, a few meters away from her. Killua's breathing quickened. It was raining and cold but he was sweating all over. Anxiously, he followed the girl with swift calculated movement, maintaining a safe distance.

Killua saw her as she made her way through the wide entrance of a shopping center.

_Shopping center? What is she up to?_

Killua thought. Maybe she was aware that she was being followed. Killua made up his mind. _Whatever the circumstances, I will face her. I will deal with her alone. Gon will surely get mad at me but it doesn't matter. His safety comes first._

The great hall was packed with people. Killua hovered closer, shadowing Alluka's steps.

They reached the hub. There was an enormous fountain surrounded by benches, mostly unoccupied. There was a group of three people to the right, two men and a girl. Alluka took a step towards them.

Killua's eyes widened in shock. He turned and staggered behind a concrete pillar, leaning against it. His heartbeats became frantic. He never thought he would see them again. They were all part of a nightmare.

The Genei Ryodan.

It was clear that Alluka knew them.

For Killua, it was too much. He could not do this alone. Not even with Gon. He rapped his mind for alternatives. They needed help.

One name came to his mind. Friends help each other, right?

* * *

**OVERVIEW**

**Chapter 5: Spiders and Cobwebs**

For as long as I could remember, the only person I could share my deepest secrets with was him, the man whose heartbeat sounded like he was living with death.


End file.
